Bartending was definitely crazy and fun, because you got to meet so many different people. Unlike people I worked with, I did not date a lot of men that I met while I was working - itís just not what you do.

I started playing violin because I was fascinated by how violin players could play so fast. I would buy their cassettes, and learn different concertos, but then I started rounding out my collection. My dad was a big jazz fan, so I just started hearing a lot more soul music. I loved Little Stevie Wonder, and I got really into him as a singer and a writer as I got older.

When I started singing as a freshman, I didnít sing for anybody - my parents or my friends. By the time I was a senior, the teacher asked me if I wanted to audition for a solo at my graduation. I was really nervous but I got it.